Existing microfluidic systems typically rely on micro-scale pumps, channels, and/or electro-kinetic materials handling. These components have several potential drawbacks including clogging, inefficient pumping, viscous energy losses in the channels, inability to manipulate or tolerate particulates, and difficulty with high viscosity liquids. They also have system-level drawbacks. Each channel can generally carry only one high purity chemical without flushing. With only one chemical per channel, complex systems have routing and space difficulties. Further, at the reaction sites either valves or a constant positive outward flow are needed, to prevent back contamination.
The present invention radically departs from pump-channel systems and addresses the drawbacks noted above. Microparticles (beads and/or micromanipulators) carrying for example, chemicals, biological moieties or molecules, powders, samples, are moved about one or more micro-scale lab workplace through interactions between microparticles and drive or biasing elements. A motivating force is generated and controlled by conventional microcircuits, for example, printed circuit boards, silicon circuits, and flex circuits, above and/or below the workplace.